“It is for the sake of friendly neighborhoods that sanctuaries shrink! When the wise cut down condemn-ably scary trees!

It is for the sake of friendly neighborhoods that sanctuaries grow! When the wise conduct all life’s duties by the cut of the moon!

Come now, tigers can’t return to live in the jungle! With the moonlit forest cut tiger-less, tigers hunt Nibbana!”

Byagghajataka JA 272

translated by OLD SICK DEAD

Tigers roam wide territories. When they find a scary tree particularly good for killing, it quickly becomes a favorite spot for an ambush! The tigers pounce down with such lethal success that the bloodshed befouls the air. A bright moon can reveal a hidden tiger; but not in the shadows of these trees. People might chop down such trees for the sake of neighborhood safety, but hungry tigers will adapt and either hunt on-a-tree or hunt on no-tree! ‘Tigers hunt Nibbana’ carries the meaning of tigers pursuing their ‘tree-less’, ‘deforested’, ‘extinction’; as well as the ‘snuffing out’ of suffering through the practice of the eight fold path! Be like tigers braving a full moon to catch a Dhamma talk in observance of Uposatha; the traditional lunar rhythm of practice!

If you wish to participate in Uposatha (AN 3.70), you can enjoy a evening of peacefulness by avoiding killing, stealing, sexual activity, lying, intoxication, evening food, adornment / entertainment, and high beds. May you find peace in your practice!